Educators value the success of all students. Educators care for students and act in their best interests.

Standard one is something I have carried deep in my heart throughout this entire program, especially during my practicum experiences. What I have learned over the past few months is that success can look different for each individual student. It is important to formulate those relationships with your students to know what their version of success is. In order to help each student to achieve success, it is also important to provide them with the tools and supports they require to be successful. This can also look different for each individual student. I came across a video on twitter the other day of a grade 3 teacher explaining how she teaches fairness to her students. She starts off by asking her students to raise their hand if they have ever scraped their elbow before. She chooses a student and has him or her explain the incident. She then apologizes that they hurt themselves and sticks a band aid on the student’s elbow. The teacher then askes who has bumped their forehead before. She calls upon a student to share his or her story then proceeds to apologize for their accident. She then sticks a band aid on that student’s elbow (this is important!). Lastly, she asks her students who has scraped their knee before and follows the same pattern. She puts another band aid on that child’s elbow. To summarize her example of fairness, she states that “fairness doesn’t mean everyone gets the same thing” but instead “fairness means everyone gets what they need to be successful” (Reneau, 2021). Some follow up questions for the students could include ‘was putting a band aid on your elbow helpful for that scrape on your knee?’. It is extremely crucial kids understand at a young age that everyone has their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Not everyone is going to need additional support in the same area. This asks students to be both empathetic and supportive of one another. As a future educator, it is my job to provide my students with what they need to be successful, and that success is best achieved when you establish meaningful relationships with your students. I promise to always act in the best interest of my students. 

Reference

Reneau, A. (2021, August 25). Third Grade Teacher Shares a Brilliant Band-aid Lesson to Teach Kids About Fairness. Upworthy. https://www.upworthy.com/teaching-fairness